Disclaimer:
This article is a direct street report from our correspondent and has not been edited by the 1st Responder newsroom.

By Jeffrey Crianza

Tower Ladders from the Village of Fishkill & Rombout Fire Departments waiting for the motorcade.

By Jeffrey Crianza

By Jeffrey Crianza

By Jeffrey Crianza

By Jeffrey Crianza

By Jeffrey Crianza

Dutchess County, NY - Russell E. Van Pelt, a lifelong local area resident, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday, November 1, 2018 at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh. He was 72.

In addition to his military service, Russ held a long and distinguished career as a volunteer firefighter. He was a member of Protection Engine Company 1 in Fishkill, which he joined in 1963 at the age of 18. Since that time he has served in several leadership roles, including Vice President, Company Trustee, 1st and 2nd Lieutenant, and Captain.

He was a NYS Certified Fire Investigator, Haz-Mat Technician, and Code Enforcement Official. Russ became the Fire Inspector for both the Town and Village of Fishkill in addition to serving as the Fire and Safety Officer for the Office of Children & Family Services. He was the Deputy Fire Coordinator for the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, and also belonged to the NYS Association of Fire Chiefs.

Russ was a police officer for the Town of Fishkill from 1971 to 1980, where he became Detective Corporal in 1975. Since 2004, he had worked as a School Safety Officer at John Jay High School in Hopewell Junction.